Committee: Stick with current trash plan

The Russellville City Council Solid Waste Committee met Tuesday to discuss what should be included in the city’s contract when negotiations with trash haulers begin.

The audience in the first-floor City Council chambers wanted to stress the importance of keeping the one-hauler system with recycling being the most important component.

Nine people addressed the committee and had three minutes each to speak, including the Rev. Tony Griffin, who also viewed recycling as a Christian responsibility.

“You should carefully consider this matter,” he said.

“We’ve come a long way in the last 10 years,” Norman Watson said. “Now we have recycling and need to try to be good stewards.”

“The meeting tonight is not to have a debate on recycling, but your input is welcome to make sure the contract has the right language,” Mayor Richard Harris said.

When the meeting adjourned, it was the consensus of the committee that they wanted to keep the contract the way it is — a one-hauler system with trash pickup, recycling, yard waste pickup and bulk pickup.

The other options were to discontinue the one-hauler system entirely, which Alderman Eric Westcott said he saw no support for at all, or a one-hauler system with some changes that would have recycling and yard waste as an option and not mandatory.

“As an educator, my solution is to educate folks,” said Chuck Campbell, in charge of recycling at Russellville High School. “The goal is to make recycling more efficient.”

“It is not my personality at all to force you to do something you don’t want to do, or to force you to pay for something you don’t want to have,” Westcott added. “I will force the citizens to pay for something they do not want to pay for. When the contract is presented to the Finance and Property Committee, just give me a total price. I think we are on the right track to continue the one-hauler system the way it is now. That is what needs to be presented to the Finance and Property Committee.”

Lot of the smaller cities around can rake their leaves to the curb and a truck will come and vacuum them up. If Paris Dardanelle Morrilton and other do it why cant Russellville This comment has been hidden due to low approval.

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